LEWISTON — Nadette Landry knows cancer.

For the past 25 years, she’s survived advanced colon cancer. For the past five years, she’s mourned her daughter, who died at 51 after a lengthy battle with breast cancer. 

“She thought she’d do like me and survive,” said 80-year-old Landry, fighting back tears. 

So Saturday morning, Landry joined a crowd of thousands at the 8th annual Dempsey Challenge.

“For my daughter,” she said.

The two-day fundraiser kicked off Saturday morning in Simard-Payne Memorial Park. Proceeds from the Challenge go to the Dempsey Center in Lewiston, which provides education, support and complimentary therapies to cancer patients, their families and caregivers, all for free.   

The Challenge had raised more than $1 million dollars by Saturday.

Actor Patrick Dempsey — who is from the area and helped found the center in 2008 in honor of his mother, Amanda Dempsey — spoke at the opening ceremony just after dawn on Saturday. 

“It’s amazing just to have everybody here and sharing this together,” he said. “The impact that you guys are all making in this community is profound.”

About 3,000 people braved the early-morning rain to participate in the Challenge’s 5K or 10K walk/run. Hundreds more later joined the Kids’ Fun Run and the Amgen Breakaway from Cancer Survivor Walk, which is held every year for people whose lives have been changed by cancer.

Landry, who lives in Lewiston, joined the Survivor Walk. So did Norway husband and wife Sandy and Fred Washer. He was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer last year, right after they’d participated in the Dempsey Challenge.

Even though Fred Washer, 49, is getting treatment now, the couple took time to do both the 10K and the Survivor Walk. A few minutes before joining the other survivors, they talked about what they’d be thinking about on the walk.

“Hope,” she said. “A lot (of) hope.”

“Hope,” he agreed. “Belief. Faith. Don’t give up.”

Not everyone at The Dempsey Challenge Saturday walked or ran. Many lined walking routes to cheer people on. 

“We’re here to be loud,” said Gwynne Hunter, who sat with her mother, her McKesson co-workers and others on the Lewiston side of the Bernard Lown Peace Bridge. 

With shouts and noisemakers, the group cheered every passerby in the 5K and 10K, spurring some walkers to run and some runners to run faster. They held up signs Hunter had made the night before — including one that urged participants to “Do it for McDreamy,” a reference to Patrick Dempsey’s popular character on his former show, “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Dempsey, whose mother died in 2014 at the age of 79 after battling ovarian cancer for years, helped lead the Survivor Walk. At the end, with his three children and two sisters beside him, he took to the stage to thank the crowd for coming.

“This is an incredible town,” he said. “It’s a great spirit. And if you know anybody, if we can help you, please come to the center.”

ltice@sunjournal.com